March 14, 2024

Congratulations to Jeff Mathwig, who was selected an alternate for the 2024 Critical Language Scholarship for Indonesian! The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Participants spend 8-10 weeks abroad over the summer, undertaking intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences. Applicants designated as alternates are considered waitlisted and may ultimately receive the award if funding becomes available.

Jeff Mathwig
MPH '24

As the son of a career military father Mathwig developed a strong interest in public service, civic engagement, and global affairs at a young age. As an undergraduate, he majored in geography before taking on timely work at Everytown for Gun Safety, the Center for Homicide Research, and United Way. A Peace Corps placement recipient, Mathwig’s dreams of global exploration were cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic caused all Peace Corps service members around the globe to evacuate back to the United States just one month before his scheduled departure. During the start of the pandemic he jumped into action by volunteering as a crisis counselor with the Crisis Text Line and working with COVID-19 infected elderly people at a nursing home in Southwest Philadelphia. Later that same year Mathwig became a manager of the COVID-19 testing program at the University of Pennsylvania, a role that earned him a commitment to excellence award. Today, Mathwig works at the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium in West Philadelphia and is a member of the board of directors for the Breastfeeding Resource Center. He hopes to someday become a nonprofit executive director and adjunct professor in order to make positive change in the world. Aside from his interest in Indonesian, he has spent the past two years learning Japanese through the online language school Japademy.

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers intensive summer language institutes in critical foreign languages. CLS is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. The selection process is administered by American Councils for International Education with awards approved by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

To learn more, please visit the official Critical Language Scholarship website or email UREP at fellowships@drexel.edu.